Seal of Approval
by Acantha Rayne Oak-Moon
Summary: In 2004, The Tri-Wizard Tournament returns to Hogwarts and a long with it The Yule Ball. Can Professors Granger and Malfoy make their date of convenience something more lasting? Written for the 100 Title Challenge (devised by myself); details and rules on the Priestesses of HISS account.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello my lovelies. This has been ported over from the Priestesses of HISS account which I share with several other authors but I miss having all my fics in one place so I will slowly be bringing over each one that I have written for that account to here. It was originally going to be a one-shot but I just love my chapters too damn much. I am rating this as M for now; it may earn that title if I am in a lemony mood before the end of this ficlet, it may not but better safe than sorry. I will adjust the rating at the end if need me. No more than three chapters planned for this as I want it to be quite a short one, just to have a 'complete' on one of my stories but it will be 99% banter and fluff. **

**No Coven member has infiltrated this story yet which is another reason I am chaptering, I am deciding on how to dish out my witches amongst the Slytherins fairly. Watch this space.**

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"Hey Granger, do you have a minute?" Draco asked as he knocked on the office door of Hogwarts' most recently employed Arithmancy Professor, whilst simultaneously poking his head around it.

"Sure, Malfoy. Anything for my favourite ferret. What do you need?" Hermione replied, entirely too bubbly about still calling him 'ferret' in his opinion.

"Is that ever going to get old?" He asked, stalling for time as he wasn't quite sure how to broach the subject of what he wanted to ask.

"Nope." She responded, smirking.

"Fine, I will continue to endure my penance for attempting to…"

"As you should." She interrupted for the second time, smirk still holding. "Now, what is it you wanted? I'm marking mock O.W.L. papers."

"Oooo, fun." He mocked, sarcastically. "I'm doing mine next week. I'll just tell them it's so hard to read their awful writing, I'm not done yet."

She snickered at that.

"I see you're taking a leaf out of your predecessor's book. Snape could've had everything marked in five minutes flat if he hadn't had so many other duties. I'm glad he's taken time for himself now things have settled down."

"Yeah, he's finally enjoying his life. Well, as much as his scowl will allow."

"Don't give him such a hard time Malfoy; thirty years of scowling must be a hard habit to break. The smile muscles are extremely out of practice."

"I hear you had something to do with getting those muscles out of early retirement."

"Malfoy, it was one kiss, three years ago. And we were both a lot less sober than we should've been. It ended my relationship with Ron if you remember and set me on the road to being a Professor, so I refuse to apologise for it."

She was getting irate now, he bubbly mood evaporating. Draco Malfoy loved it when she started to fume. It reminded him of the time she'd hit him in their third year. In truth he'd deserved it and it was the first time someone had stood up to his personal brand of gittery. From that moment till this, Draco Malfoy had been in love with Hermione Granger. Although it had taken until post war… and specifically when she'd kissed his Godfather for him to admit it to himself.

"Ok, ok," he placated, hands in the air in the universal stance of surrender, "I'll let it pass. For now. But you will tell me how that kiss led you to an apprenticeship with Vector and to you taking her job."

"Fine. I'll tell you. One day. Maybe the day you tell me what it was you said to Harry last year that made him dump Ginny."

"That is classified information, Granger. You'll have to ask Potter."

"I did." She responded petulantly, crossing her arms over her chest. "He said if I wanted to know, I had to ask you. Something about bros before… well, never mind. You still haven't told me why you're here."

"Oh right, that." He said, suddenly uncomfortable. Stalling time was over. "Do you mind if I sit?"

She gestured to the high backed wooded chair in front of her desk and he took a seat, shuffling his feet almost nervously. Hermione was confused. She hadn't seen him nervous about anything since the end of the war six years ago.

She let her annoyance from their banter slip away. He did it on purpose, wound her up, and they both knew that they found the intellectual trading of barbs and wits refreshing.

"I, erm… need a favour." He mumbled, not quite meeting her eyes as he stared beyond her shoulder.

Hermione was sure his cheeks had pinked. What on earth could he be asking of her that he would be this embarrassed? Her curiosity was piqued and just as it was in her youth, the questions bubbled to her mind. Thankfully, however, mainly thanks to Snape and his occlumency lessons, she had learned to kerb her penchant for uttering whatever was in her mind from her lips with no filter. Softly, she prompted Draco to get to his point.

"Draco, for all our banter and tiffs, you know I respect who you are now and what you've made of your life. You can trust me. Whatever it is, I won't judge you for it."

He took a deep breath and seemed to cling to her words, gathering a stray twitch of courage from somewhere inside he hadn't known was there.

"Thanks. Well, the thing is… with us hosting the Tri-Wizard Cup again this year, there's going to be a Yule Ball and since Stori left me I haven't really bothered with a social life. I was wondering if you'd, you know… be my date?"

Of all the things Hermione had been expecting, that was not one of them. She hadn't even given the Yule Ball a thought. When Minerva had announced it all at the Welcoming Feast, Hermione had had a nasty cold and been barely coherent as she sat and watched the Sorting Ceremony. She was so stunned that she answered Draco without any real thought.

"No problem, Malfoy. You're probably doing me a favour actually. Can't be dealing with someone getting all grabby just to get in on the Gryffindor Princess – disgusting sycophants wanting me as a trophy. Of course I'll go with you. A few dances, our usual back-n-forth banter, should keep the cads at bay."

She'd gone back to her marking as she was speaking and so missed the way Draco's face fell at her plan to use him as a shield against grabby hands and unwanted advances. He left without another word and chose to not look back as he would deem doing so pathetic. He therefore didn't see how her face lit up at the prospect of going to a dance with Draco Malfoy. Oh, how times had changed.

* * *

_21__st__ December 2004_

Hermione had spent all afternoon getting ready. The ball was due to start at seven-thirty and Draco had sent her a note yesterday to say he would pick her up from her quarters at seven – which was in twenty minutes. She had straightened her hair… having floo'd to her mother's at three in order to use electric straighteners and placed a stasis charm on every strand. She intended to shock everyone by making an entrance with arrow straight hair and just to prove even further that she belonged on the arm of a Malfoy, she had spent half the morning with her hair being pulled through a plastic head cap to get blonde highlights. There were magical ways to do such things but she liked to keep some things from her muggle heritage.

She wore a silk shift, backless dress in pale silver with opalescent embroidery framing the plunge neckline. She felt blessed that her chest was ample enough to give her shape but not so heavy as to need support. However a sticking charm was necessary to protect her dignity as the dress shifted when she walked. The whole outfit was completed with heeled glass shoes, inspired by her favourite fairy-tale – Cinderella; a pair of glittering, dangling hoop earrings with each hoop encircling an emerald eyed snake, in honour of her 'date' and his Slytherin loyalties; finally a temporary arm tattoo in runes which spelled out the words 'not just for tonight'. The intention was for Draco to read this and get a clue that she was in love with him.

A miraculous turn of events had occurred to lead her to this emotional revelation - she found out it was Draco who had saved Snape from death after Nagini's attack all those years ago, had apparated him back to Malfoy Manor and nursed him back to health; testified on the Potion's Master's behalf that he had always known his true loyalties had been with Dumbledore and the side of the light, had known about Lily and the reason he fought to protect Harry's life so hardily and stealthily, and finally Draco had covered Snape's classes until he was well enough to return and train him as a replacement. The apprenticeship had taken only one year instead of the usual three as Draco had worked diligently and with a singular focus to allow Snape a life of his own choosing away from Hogwarts.

Now Draco and Hermione were opposing Heads of Houses who bickered almost as much, if not more than their predecessors did, betting on the outcome of both the House Cup and Quidditch table. Their rivalry was supported by the students who enjoyed their demonstrations in the reinstated duelling club, and by the teachers who all secretly had wagers on when the two would realise their mutual attraction and get on with it.

Despite having asked Hermione to be his date for the Yule Ball, Draco had spent the two weeks since he did so practically avoiding her. She had been so blasé about her acceptance he had wondered whether she had even understood his intentions for it to be a true date and not a means of not going alone. After assuming she had misunderstood but feeling it would be foolish and embarrassing to correct her thinking, he spent the fortnight brooding and being snappish with everyone in a fair imitation of Snape. By the second week, he'd even taken to wearing all black and adding a swish to his robes. He tried for the full billow; he just couldn't quite pull it off.

The day before the ball, he realised they hadn't actually arranged when and where to meet up to head to the Great Hall and so in a flurry of inspiration he decided to pick her up from her quarters as traditional courting etiquette dictated. The note had been sparse in its wording but hopefully conveyed the right tone…

_Dear Hermione,_

_I realised with some trepidation this morning that we did not make arrangements for our date tomorrow night. If it pleases you, I will collect you from your rooms at 7pm. I look forward to our first dance._

_Yours,_

_Draco_

He checked his appearance in the mirror – his long blonde hair had been left loose and was now almost as long as his father's. At least he assumed so. He hadn't seen the Malfoy patriarch since his trial six years ago and even though he had been released from Azkaban earlier this year, not a word had passed between them.

His startling blue eyes, a gift of his mother's side of the family were bright with the excitement of spending the evening with Hermione. He was determined tonight would be the night that he declared his intentions, if not his true feelings to the muggleborn witch who had consumed his thoughts for over a decade. She had grown into a beautiful witch, her intelligence was unsurpassed and magnificent to behold. So much so that he had managed to tamper his own jealousy that she was smarter than him; of course, this was greatly helped by the fact that Slytherin had won the Quidditch cup for the last three years – Gryffindor really were awful without Potter.

Confirming his robes were straight and the Gryffindor lion tie pin he'd worn just to pique Hermione's interest was still in place, he left his quarters and strode towards the fifth floor where Hermione's quarters were.

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**A/N: Now, here we are at the end of chapter 1. I really could've just kept going and made this a one shot, in fact I intend to keep writing it once this is posted but there is something so satisfying about creating that 'next' button for a bit more story.**

**Hope you all enjoy it. Please review.**

**Love & Blessings**

**Moon Out x**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I warn you now, this chapter managed to beautifully earn the M rating that I wasn't sure I was going to need. Guess what? I did. I completely blame Claw because I read her latest posting 'Clause Number Four' today and it got me inspired. Hope y'all enjoy. Please review, I love reviews.**

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"Fuuuuuuuuuuck" Draco choked out when his brain finally managed to collect a few errant blood cells to make a word. At the sight of Hermione as she opened her door, every single drop of his pure blood had headed directly south.

Hermione had opened her door all of sixty seconds ago and after taking in the straight hair with blonde highlights, the snake earrings, the 'holy-fuck' neckline that showed the perfect gravity-defying shape of her braless boobs and the daring slits that cut up to her hip – on both sides, Draco was simultaneously breathless, aroused and transfixed. Her ruby painted lips quirked into a shy smile as she averted her eyes from his.

"Thanks… _Draco_. I needed that. You look rather, erm…"

Hermione struggled for a compliment that didn't seem too forward. She wanted to let him know that she was open to the evening not ending when the ball came to a close later on, or ever for that matter but she didn't want to come off as too easy. She realised she'd been too dismissive when he originally asked her to accompany him but as the event had drawn closer, she'd realised that even though he seemed to be avoiding her, she could catalogue at least ten occasion over the last fifteen months they'd been working together that she'd caught him staring at her with something of a soppy grin on his face. Was it possible he actually liked her? She wondered. With this possibility in mind, she gathered the Gryffindor courage her house was famous for and decided to be as forward and _bold_ as she was expected to be as Head of House.

"…mouth-watering yourself."

There. She'd said it and then she'd never seen anyone move so fast. Draco's hand was behind her head in less than a second and his mouth descended on hers like an owl goes after a mouse in the dark. She was almost a full foot shorter than he was so she had time to back away if she wanted to. She had no such want inside her and as his lips crushed hers, she responded fully – head tilting to avoid an amateur mistake like nose-collision, lips slightly parted to communicate complete compliance and though the surprise of his move was exactly that, she wasn't letting him change his mind.

Both hands snaked around his back and as he deepened the kiss she pulled him closer. His tongue was gentle with hers at first, despite his obvious want to devour her; he tasted her mouth thoroughly and kept them both firmly in her territory. It wasn't until she pushed forward to taste him, running a gentle caress along the roof of his mouth with a hand sliding down to grab his bum that he groaned and broke away from the kiss.

"If we keep going, we'll never get to the ball." He said breathlessly.

Hermione's eyes were molten chocolate as she gazed longingly into his ocean depths. He wasn't sure he was even willing to give this up for the few hours they would have to be downstairs but he had to give her the choice.

She sighed, disappointed, but he lifted her chin and smiled.

"It's just a few hours postponement and I really do want that dance." He reassured her, smiling.

"I suppose I never have given you a full tour of my quarters, have I?" She responded, a sexy gleam in her eyes as she moved closer, her hand still on his superb arse. "Perhaps we could remedy that after the dance. My bedroom really does have a magnificent view of the grounds after midnight."

Draco groaned as he felt her hand tighten around his butt and pull him ever tighter against her. He really wanted to push her back into her rooms right now and just take her. Right up against her front door. It sucked that they had to go be _responsible_ and chaperone a dance for the students. On the other hand, knowing she happily returned at least his sexual interest, he knew he could tease her all night and have her gagging for it by midnight.

A smirk appeared on his face at the idea as he grabbed her hand from behind him and pulled her out of the doorway.

"Come on; let's go, before Potter and Dashling send a search party."

Hermione happily complied, her half-a-library portrait closing behind her.

* * *

The grand double doors to the Great Hall opened for them as they approached hand in hand. It was something Hermione had learned since becoming a part of the Hogwarts faculty, that the castle recognised the staff and helped them as much as possible by doing little things that made life easier… opening doors, providing shortcuts, always having the stairs move the way the professor wanted them to. Hermione realised that apart from the first thing, the castle had always done these things for her. It made her feel warm and accepted.

Draco squeezed her hand as they stepped forward, as smug as ever to have snagged Hermione for his date. Of course the deeper feelings were there too but the war-heroine, Brightest Witch of Her Age, Gryffindor Princess was practically untouchable to the whole of bachelordom according to the Prophet, Potter and the magical community as a whole. It seemed no one was considered worthy of her. As he had taken the chance that she might be lonely enough with that status to give him a shot and it had worked, he felt he had the right to display the smugness he felt as the most revered witch of the 21st century smiled up at him.

The buzz in the room died down as they moved further into the cavernous room. It was practically a Mexican wave of hushed whispers from the gathered staff, students and guests.

Hermione picked up the low chant-like song of three Gryffindor second years…

"Granger and Malfoy sitting in a tree…" the girls sang and Hermione smiled at them, knowing two of them were muggleborn and one was a halfblood, knowing they must have picked up the silly tune in a muggle playground.

Miss Dashling, the latest and record-winning Defence Professor, having been in the position for four years seemed to be discussing something with Harry very intently, both of them glancing at the newest arrivals to the hall every few moments and nodding or shaking a head.

Hermione decided to put everyone out of their misery. She'd known about the bets, the jokes, the set-ups since she started 15 months ago and Harry knew of her feelings for Malfoy. Without warning, she reached up for Draco's face and pulled him down, placing her lips squarely against his.

She pulled away, panting, just in time to hear her best friend's voice echo through their stunned and captivated but no longer in doubt audience.

"Ha!" Came Harry's loud exclamation and Hermione knew before she even looked that he was talking to Snape. "You owe me twenty galleons."

"We'll see. One kiss does not make a relationship." Replied Snape and Hermione wondered if he was referring to them. "_That_, could have been planned between you and Miss Granger so you might win our bet by stealth. Not that a Gryffindor really understands such things."

She rolled her eyes as she saw Harry getting impatient and thought perhaps she might need to go over and intervene. When the band chose that moment to come alive again however, she lost her chance as Draco whirled her into his arms and whispered words in her ear that sent shivers down her spine and warmth to her belly.

"How about that dance? I like the slow ones, I can get closer."

Her hands came up automatically to glide over his shoulders and curl around his neck; his moved just as swiftly, wrapping around her waist, his fingers lacing together against the bare skin at the base of her spine.

"We're creating quite the spectacle." She said softly as they swayed, one of her fingers tickling softly along the nape of his neck.

"Stop doing that. I can't get hard in front of all the students and our colleagues. I'd never live it down."

She grinned. Rather evilly for Gryffindor, Draco thought before using the position of her hands to pull him down and lean into his throat. She left a long slow lick right up the side of his neck to his ear, before pulling the lobe into her mouth and sucking gently.

"Granger…" he groaned, his fingers digging in tighter where they rested just above her bum.

"Get a room!" Someone shouted amongst a myriad of catcalls and wolf-whistles from the crowd. Draco wasn't sure how she'd turned his teasing plan around on him but she was bloody good at it. He was hard as a rock.

Hermione recognised the voice as Angel Vine; the Transfiguration Professor who had taken over from Minerva McGonagall who was now Headmistress. Angel was also the new Head of Ravenclaw as Flitwick had retired the previous year. She had become a very good friend of Hermione's as they shared a love of good books, wine and too many evenings rating the sexiness of the male members of staff. Of course for Hermione it was always Draco who topped the list; she was incapable of thinking of Harry like that even if he had buffed up being the new Quidditch Coach and Flying Instructor.

The only other viable option was Neville, who was in his last year of apprenticeship under Professor Sprout. Next year she would retire and Temperance Dashling would become Head of Hufflepuff leaving Neville to take over as Herbology Professor. Hermione had admired Neville over the last few years; he'd become much more confident since the war. Ever since pulling the sword of Gryffindor out of the sorting hat, killing a horcrux and subsequently being labelled a war hero and had grown into the man Hermione always knew he would if he just believed in himself. Try as she might however, she was incapable of finding him sexy. She would always see him as the boy who got hung from the chandelier by Cornish pixies in their second year. She just could not, not superimpose that image over who he was now.

Angel however had no such reservations in her interest of Harry or Neville. She'd shown unconscionable amounts of interest in both over the last year but though her first love was Transfiguration, her second was Herbology and so Hermione had a sneaking suspicion it was with Neville, where the Ravenclaw witch's interest truly lay.

As the song came to an end, Hermione released Draco's ear and told him she'd be right back, walking toward where Angel was now speaking with Temperance, only to be dragged back by the arm and held quite snuggly; her bum nestled against something very hard in Draco's trousers which she suspected was not his wand.

"You can't leave me like this. I need you to cover me."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Fine, but you're coming with me." She hissed behind her, trying to walk as Draco slid his arms around her waist from behind. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to walk with you holding onto me like that?"

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to walk with a…?"

"Angel… how was your last lesson? NEWT prep right?" Hermione asked innocently.

"Don't come that with me, H. When did all this start?" She asked, gesturing between Hermione and Draco.

"Oh, about… erm…" She looked up to Draco as if confused. "Twenty minutes ago?"

"More like thirty." He replied, smirking and gripping her tighter with one arm around the waist; the other slipping into where the silver fabric shimmered at the top of her bum, sliding over the smooth rounded globes and inching lower, closer and closer to…

Hermione's eyes shuttered a little at the sensation as Draco played payback for her fun on the dance floor.

"Well, that didn't take you long once you got started." Angel said smugly to Hermione as if they'd planned for such a thing.

"Just making up for…" she gasped as two fingers glided themselves inside her slick heated core but coughed to make up for it and covered her mouth to stifle a moan as his fingers curled. "…lost time." She finished, rather proud of herself for getting that out.

"So I see," Angel said, eyeing Draco as if she knew exactly what he was doing. "Well. It's about time."

"Yes!" Hermione yelped, a little louder than necessary just as Draco found her clit. "Meaning it's… your turn…"

Hermione eyed Neville on the other side of the room. He was talking to some students and giving his demonstration of how the mimbulus mimbletonia dances during the full moon.

"Go get him!" She said, again, louder than what would be normal before she couldn't take anymore of Draco's teasing and without embarrassment, ground her core against his hand and threw her head back against his shoulder, silently, trying to suppress her shuddering.

"We're going to go patrol the grounds, keep an eye out for over-amorous students," Draco finally said. "You know what they're like at these dances."

He backed away, not removing his hand from Hermione's knickers. Neither of them missed the giggling and slight blushes of Angel or Temperance but they did miss the 'notice-me not' spells that their colleagues cast over them.

As soon as they were outside, Hermione rounded on him.

"I swear to Merlin and all the Gods, if you don't fuck me in the next sixty seconds I will take 100 points from every Slytherin kid I see between now and the end of the year."

"I love it when you're bossy." He said on a growl as he slammed her against the nearest wall and brought his lips to hers in a crushing kiss.

His hands were pulling up the low hem of her dress, bunching it up in one hand as his other held both of hers above her head and against the wall. His tongue was frantic and insistent as Hermione lifted one leg up around his hip to open herself up to him.

"Please… Draco… fuck me."

"Fuck, I love it when you say my name. I don't think I've been this hard in my life." He replied, diving for her neck.

He had the presence of mind to use a sticking charm to keep her arms above her head, before lifting both her legs to wrap around his hips.

Hermione whimpered as his teeth sunk into her neck and his hands palmed her breasts.

"Now, Draco…. Please. Oh, dear sweet…" she gasped hard as she felt his lips close around an exposed nipple. " Please… Oh God… cock Draco. Give it to me."

Without word or wand he magically undid his fly and allowed his aching cock to grind against her leaking hot centre.

She shuddered as its rigidity brushed her clit and then with no more warning, he was gliding inside her. She heard him groan at the snugness of the fit when the mere sensation of being filled had her clenching; her walls beginning to flutter shamelessly.

"Fuck me!" She whispered, her voice not quite with her completely.

Draco complied, withdrawing almost completely before slamming back into her as his lips returned to her tight, pebbled pink nipple, his fingers teasing its twin, his hips pistoning like a machine as he thrust with abandon… a beast of lust and longing and need set free.

It didn't take long for him to feel the tell-tale burn up his spine and the feel of his balls rising.

"So close," she whispered.

He had no idea how he had the presence of mind to make the decision but it was as if instinct took over. He moved his fingers from her breast to her clit and slid his mouth from one nipple to the other before slightly re-angling his hips and giving her everything he had.

Within seconds she was screaming his name, uncaring if the whole world heard her as her walls clamped around him like a vice and he had no choice but to slow his rhythm to a halt and watch her in awe as she unravelled before and around him.

He felt the moment she relaxed, boneless and grabbing her hips with renewed vigour he pounded himself into her, chasing his own finish. He was seconds away when he heard her only half-conscious declaration… "I love you."

That was all he needed and he jerked twice and spilled himself magnificently inside her.

"Wow," she sighed as he released her arms and helped her slide down his hips to her feet. She collapsed against him and he had to remind himself she'd had two orgasms to his one. If he had his way, she'd be getting a lot more later. "We really need to do that again."

"Absolutely. But right now, I'd say you need some pepper-up."

"You're probably right." She replied dreamily and Draco smiled, adjusting her dress and his own robes. "Does this mean I've finally earned myself the Slytherin Seal of Approval?"

"You know what? I think it does."

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**A/N: Well look at that… I managed to find a place I could technically end if I wanted to. I have an idea a chapter 3 and maybe 4 if y'all want more but I've filled the requirements of the challenge so I will mark it as complete for now and leave it up to my readers. Answers in the review section please. **


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